Chelsea reach Europe's top table as Forest fizzle out

AT THE CITY GROUND

- MIGUEL DELANEY

Now, Nottingham Forest are left to wonder about it all, settling for the Conference League to leave a mood of plaintive appreciation at the City Ground. There were a few shots of their scowling owner, Evangelos Marinakis.

The Greek businessman didn’t come onto the pitch in the manner he has made so notorious of late, but Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly did. The American hedge-fund manager ostentatiously celebrated Champions League qualification with the squad, the club returning to the competition for the first time in three years.

“Very proud,” Enzo Maresca said. “We brought this club where this club has to be, the most important competition.”

The Italian also indulged in a bit of a victory lap, even saying “eff off to all” of the team's critics.

He stopped himself from actually swearing when he remembered he had his young daughter sitting in front of him for the press conference.

Forest have qualified for Europe for the first time since 1995-96, but that is only after a campaign where they spent a long period in the top three, and looked like getting back into the Champions League for the first time since they were European champions in 1980-81.

Nuno did make sure to add that they should also be “proud”. They have significantly overperformed, even if it ended up underwhelming. A little like some of the manager’s football and the season as a whole, there were no fireworks on this final day.

It says much that five clubs were going for the last three Champions League places, and only two of them won. One was Chelsea, who properly dug in after Levi Colwill’s 49th-minute strike. Maresca actually lamented how so much of modern football discussion is results-based, but this was all about just getting over the line.